Now that more powerful computers, high-speed internet connections, and superior compression technologies are available to just about everyone, the demand for digital media content is greater than ever. With instant and anytime access to literally millions of their favorite music and videos, consumers are applauding the convenience that digital distribution has suddenly afforded them. They enjoy being able to download or stream music to their hard drive or personal computer hard drive as fluidly as any TV broadcast.
While the demand for digital content grows however, so does the potential for its unauthorized use. Without a secure distribution system in place, digital media files can be easily copied or compressed into smaller files without the content owner's authorization—then distributed across the Internet for others to use. This not only violates the copyrights held by thousands of media companies, record labels, filmmakers, and recording artists; it strips these entities of valuable revenues as well.
Microsoft Windows Media Rights Manger (a registered trademark of the Microsoft Corporation) is an end-to-end digital rights management (DRM) platform that provides an effective, flexible, and most importantly-secure way for content owners to deliver music and video over the internet. DRM technologies encrypt digital media files and limit their access to only those people who have acquired proper authorization to play them. Using Windows Media Rights Manager, content owners can easily distribute digital files that govern the use of their assets, and issue licenses that enforce these rights.
It is therefore useful that content owners can employ a digital delivery system and method that protects their material from being played by unauthorized users, and that content owners can have information regarding the material that users have played.